WITH increasing interest and opportunities in careers in the film and television industries among young people in Ireland, one educational institution has definitively established itself as offering the pre-eminent film course in the country, thanks largely to the short films made by its students.
This year's graduate show, screening at the IFC from June 25th to 27th, marks the tenth year of graduate film production from Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design, which since 1986 has established itself as the best known Irish film school at home and abroad. The work produced each year has formed the most important part of that reputation, with films like Kieron J. Walsh's Goodbye Piccadilly, Declan Reeks's Big Swinger and Claire Lynch's Fruit 15 winning awards at festivals and competitions around the world.
In total, Dun Laoghaire has been responsible for the production of over 130 films. As you'd expect, some have been wonderful, some mediocre and some ropey as hell. But, taken together, they represent the largest single injection of new talent into Irish film over the last decade.
Roisin Hogan, Principal of DLCAD, is understandably proud of the college's achievements and pays tribute to Anne O'Leary, the course director who has overseen the development of film options at the college, which now includes specialised modules in make up, special effects and multi media. "With the different elements we've been introducing, we find there's more and more cross fertilisation between different disciplines there is convergence happening in all kinds of ways."
The last 10 years have seen a proliferation of film, television and media studies courses around the country, ranging from short term video production classes to degree and MA options at several universities. Dun Laoghaire has kept ahead of the chasing pack by appropriating the title of National Film, Television and Animation School for its courses. Hogan believes the title is justified, "because of our track record, our steady output and the complementary elements we have built up over the years".
Irish film schools have been criticised by people within the industry here for not being sufficiently connected with the realities and requirements of the production sector, reflecting the tension between the theoretical basis of many courses and the practical needs of employers. In Dun Laoghaire, 80 per cent of course work is practical, producing up to two and a half hours of finished film each year.
However, Hogan accepts that there is still a difficulty with qualifications being accepted by the industry. Graduates tend to enter at trainee level, on a par with applicants who haven't been to film school. More established schools in other countries funnel their graduates directly into responsible positions on film crews, but that hasn't been the case here. It would seem that Irish qualifications have not been respected in the past. "That's beginning to change," believes Hogan. "People are beginning to enter the industry a bit above trainee grade. I certainly think that there is a case for further recognition of qualifications. We work closely with the industry a lot of the people teaching our students are practising professionals."
The focus of Dun Laoghaire reflects both its status as an art college and its position as part of the VEC system, with the courses encouraging creative expression through the film making process, along with the teaching of specific technical skills. As usual, this year's collection of dramas covers a broad range of themes, including infidelity, the Irish civil war, tear of childbirth and chronic laziness. Recurring themes down the years have included a fascination with beaches (reprised this year with Michele Manahan's Shades), which may be as much due to the availability of workable locations on the South Dublin coastline as anything else. There's usually a hefty helping of post adolescent angst on view, reflecting the age of the film makers, but the most successful productions have had comic elements woven successfully into their plots.
It's a long haul from these first steps to fully fledged feature film production. Although many of the graduates have gone on to make more short dramas, documentaries, pop promos and television commercials, none has yet gone into production on a feature (although several are currently developing projects with the support of the Film Board, and at least two are likely to go into production over the next year). "It takes time," says Hogan. "You have to gain confidence to be able to persuade people to provide the very large sums of money needed to make a feature."
She is particularly encouraged by the way in which the graduates continue to work together after leaving college. "More and more, we find that our students are collaborating in teams and clusters after graduation that's where there's potential for real success."
